1. What is your impression of the opening line of White’s book: “New York bestows gifts of loneliness and the gifts of privacy.” Do you agree or disagree with White? If so, why? If not, why not? How effective is the opening? What does it accomplish, if anything?

The gift of privacy is something that people have in New York in contrast to someone living in a small village. You can walk around and not have to worry about people seeing who you are and what you are doing. This doesn’t necessarily mean you are doing something wrong, it just means that you are limited in privacy. In a village, you are your own celebrity. That being said, the gift of privacy goes hand-and-hand with the gift of loneliness.

When there is a train full of people, very rarely does one person talk to another person that they do not know. We are all secluded into our own bubbles of reality. We become so obsessed with our privacy that we, as people, do not let ourselves into our own realities.

I agree with White’s line because it is apparent in every day life living in New York. When someone goes up to another person to ask them a question, the conversation remains untouched. People are so focused on their own privacy that they believe every question asked will be a question or inquiry not worth their time. The opening is very effective due to the understanding on an inner-New York life.

2. How and why does the writer use lists in this book?

I believe the author uses lists in order to create some sort of category within objects/items/ideas one would think do not go well together. For example, a grocery list would include eggs, flour, butter, milk. However, if the list included eggs, flour, sunglasses, AA batteries, pens, one would have a reason, a story, as to why they are putting that in a grocery list.